Oct. 25, 2006
Oct. 25, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - It took just three games for the Boilermaker volleyball team to secure the Monon Spike traveling trophy for the fourth-straight season, as Purdue swept the Indiana Hoosiers 3-0 Wednesday night. The Boilermakers won the match 30-21, 30-22 and 30-19.
Sophomore Stephanie Lynch (New Albany, Ind.), sophomore Danita Merlau (New Palestine, Ind.) and junior Samantha Mader (Algonquin, Ill.) all posted double-digit kill tallies for the Boilermakers. Lynch led the team with 13 kills on a .556 hitting effort, while Mader and Merlau each tallied 11 kills. Junior Elizabeth Jacques (Winfield, Ill.) tacked on eight kills on a stellar .727 hitting percentage to go with her match-high six blocks. Senior Brittany Dildine added seven kills.
Sophomore Kelli Miller (Muncie, Ind.) led the Purdue defense with 14 digs, while Merlau pulled up nine. Lynch and Merlau helped Jacques at the net, each putting up four blocks. The Boilermakers hit .373 for the match and topped the Hoosiers in all major statistical categories.
After a tie at 6-6 in Game 1, the Boilermakers posted a 9-4 run, including kills by Merlau, Jacques and Mader and an ace by Miller to take a 15-10 lead, prompting an Indiana timeout. Purdue increased its advantage to seven at 20-13 after a trio of kills by Lynch and a block by Jacques and Gray. The Boilermakers led by eight at 26-18 after back-to-back putdowns by Lynch. A kill by freshman Carrie Gurnell (Katy, Texas) set up game point at 29-21, then a block by Jacques and Merlau sealed the Purdue win. The Boilermakers hit .324 in the stanza as Lynch chalked up six kills, while Jacques posted four blocks.
The Boilermakers raced out to a 9-3 lead to start Game 2. Senior Lindsay Shondell (Muncie, Ind.) served up an ace, while Mader, Jacques and Lynch added kills in the stretch. The Hoosiers scored three of the next four points, sparking a 9-2 Purdue rally to make it 19-8. Freshman Sam Gray served up an ace, while Jacques and Merlau each added two kills. Indiana cut the margin to five at 19-14 and again at 24-19. Purdue responded with three straight points on a kill by Mader, a block by Jacques and Dildine and a Hoosier miscue to make it 27-20. Another Mader kill set up game-point at 29-21, but a kill by Erica Short thwarted the effort. A block by Lynch and redshirt sophomore Emily Williams (Mishawaka, Ind.) gave Purdue the 30-22 victory. The Boilermakers hit .371 in the game, as Mader, Jacques, Lynch and Merlau each tallied four kills.
Purdue led 7-3 in the early goings of Game 3 after a kill and a block by Mader and an ace by Miller. The Hoosiers closed the gap to two at 9-7, but Purdue rallied with nine-straight points to take an 18-7 lead. Dildine served up back-to-back aces, while Gurnell posted two kills and the Hoosiers committed three errors. Indiana scored four of the next five points to make it an eight point game at 19-11, but the Boilermakers countered with three straight on two kills and a block assist by Merlau. The teams split the next 12 points, leading to a 28-18 score. A double-hit call on the Hoosiers set up Purdue's chance at the match, but an IU kill kept the game going. A kill by Jacques, her eighth of the night in 11 swings, closed the door at 30-19. Merlau tallied four kills as Purdue hit .421 in the stanza with just two errors in 38 attempts.
The Boilermakers return to action at 7 p.m. Friday when the Iowa Hawkeyes come to the IAF.